5 unanswered questions about Austin’s prostate cancer treatment

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is under increasing pressure to resign, or at least provide an explanation, as Republicans accuse him of dereliction of duty for not disclosing his hospital visit last week.

The Pentagon released a statement Tuesday from Austin's doctors saying he underwent surgery before Christmas after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, answering one of the big questions, but why President Biden? It remains unclear why and other key officials were kept in the dark for so many days.

The cancer was discovered during a routine check-up in early December, and Austin underwent surgery to treat it on December 22nd. But she then returned to the hospital on January 1 complaining of nausea and severe pain, and doctors determined that the cause was in her urinary tract. She became infected and was admitted to intensive care.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks also did not learn of the hospitalization until January 4, the same day Biden was informed. The press and public were informed the next day.

The White House said Biden first learned of Austin's cancer diagnosis in a phone call from Austin on Tuesday, hours before the Pentagon notified the public.

Peter Feaver, a civil-military relations scholar and professor of political science and public policy at Duke University, said the situation has escalated into a political scandal with serious implications.

“This is a little bit more of a political mess than a national security mess, but there are serious national security questions that the president will have to answer for.”

Here are five questions that remain unanswered as the Pentagon tries to contain the fallout.

Was there a rule violation?

Austin oversees one of the world's largest organizations, including more than 1 million active-duty soldiers spread across the globe.

He is also an essential link in the nuclear chain of command and serves in an advisory role.

The secret hospitalization, which took place as the United States is supporting two wars and repelling Iranian-backed militia attacks in the Middle East, raises questions about whether there were violations of law or policy. Ta.

Fieber said there did not appear to be any violations of the law, given that the chain of command was not disrupted while Austin was hospitalized and that he delegated authority to his second-in-command.

However, it may have violated an administrative policy requiring ministers to notify the president of their leave.

“What was not maintained was the situational awareness of the president and his senior team as to who would be on the other end of the phone if they felt the need to make a call,” Feaver said.

“It almost certainly violated protocols and standard procedures established by the White House to maintain situational awareness not only of the Secretary of Defense but of all Cabinet members.”

Will someone be punished?

For now, the Biden administration is backing Austin in reviewing the situation, and the Pentagon is withholding details about who knew what as it conducts its own review.

The Pentagon has promised to release the results of a 30-day investigation into whether rules and procedures were violated in the handling of Austin's hospitalization.

“This review will help us uncover the truth in a comprehensive way so, importantly, we can learn from it,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. “Not only can we do that, but we can do better next time.” .

The White House on Tuesday ordered a review of the protocol governing how Cabinet officials delegate authority. It also directed ministries and agencies to notify the Cabinet Office of Cabinet Affairs and the White House Chief of Staff when the Chief Cabinet Secretary delegates duties.

However, some Republican lawmakers have accused Austin of dereliction of duty and are calling for his removal from office.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, announced Tuesday an investigation into Austin's failure to disclose his hospitalization status. He specifically named Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, in his letter, saying she waited two days after learning of Austin's hospitalization on Jan. 2 before informing the White House.

“As you know, this lack of transparency was unacceptable and could have led to disaster,” Rogers wrote.

Mark Esper, who served as defense secretary under former President Donald Trump, said the incident was a “major communication failure” and required senior Pentagon officials to stay in touch about where they are. He explained.

“Why weren't procedures followed? Was it incompetence…or were they told to stop?” Esper told CNN.. “That's the important question that really needs to be answered now.”

White House National Security Council Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday that the president maintains confidence in the secretary.

Why was there a delay in notifying Biden, Congress, and the public?

Ryder said the delay occurred because Magsamen was out sick at the time of Austin's hospitalization and the office was sparsely occupied during the holidays.

Ryder said the Pentagon review will shed light on several unresolved issues, including why Austin's chief of staff's deputy commander and other staff members did not notify authorities sooner. Ta.

The Pentagon Press Association, a representative group for journalists who cover the Pentagon, has complained about the delay in notifying media outlets, which it says violates Cabinet Secretary regulations.

Congress then called for a hearing on the matter, although it was not notified until shortly before the press statement was released.

Was Austin going to tell Biden about his diagnosis?

It's unclear exactly when Austin learned he had prostate cancer, but doctors said in a statement Tuesday that tests were done in early December.

Austin underwent a “minimally invasive surgery called prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer” on December 22nd at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

However, the White House said Biden only learned of his cancer diagnosis on Tuesday morning.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that “until this morning, no one in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer,” adding that keeping Biden's diagnosis a secret for so long was “a good idea.” No,” he added.

“We're all going to learn so many lessons from this week,” Kirby said.

Ryder said that even if there hadn't been a political scandal surrounding his hospitalization, Austin would have eventually told Biden of his diagnosis.

Who chose the word “choice” in the first statement?

Another important question is why Austin identified himself as having an “elective” surgery in his initial statement on Jan. 5, when describing his cancer surgery.

It is unclear whether the necessary cancer treatment technically qualifies as an elective medical procedure rather than an emergency medical procedure. But Pentagon reporters said Tuesday that the choice of words was misleading.

Asked who chose the word “elective” in his initial statement, Ryder said he is not a medical professional and would defer to Walter Reed doctors.

A statement Tuesday said Austin “never lost consciousness or received general anesthesia” during his eight days in the hospital.

On January 5, Austin recovered and resumed full duty. He remains at Walter Reed Hospital, but is out of intensive care and recovering. The Pentagon said Austin was conscious when he was admitted to the hospital and remained conscious throughout his stay.